Getting healthy isn't much fun, but being a healthy cyborg? Awesome.
Contrary to many people's beliefs, I'm not really a robot. Based on my constant use of technology, however, it might be arguable that I'm a cyborg—or at least pre-cyborg, if that's a thing. In this article, I'm going to talk about the health-related technology I use as a Linux user. Some of the things are still hard to do in a completely Linux environment, but most work fine regardless of what's running under the keyboard. Why focus on health? I'm glad you asked.
First off, summer is here for the Northern Hemisphere, and that usually means we all want a sexy beach body—or at the very least we are willing to crawl out of our insulated caves and get outside. For me, that's especially true after the winter we've had here in the Midwest. On a personal note, however, I recently found out I have some serious health problems (kidney- and liver-related), so a healthy lifestyle is crucial. I plan to get very, very old someday. If I'm going to be healthy, my best chance of success is if I can do it with lots of gadgets. So, here we go!
Although there are plenty of aspects to a healthy lifestyle, I'm going to focus on diet and exercise. Basically, what I put into my body, what I do to make my body sweat and the precise measurement of gravitational attraction between my body and the Earth. That gravitational attraction (or “weight” for the mundane) certainly isn't the only measurement of health, but whether we like to admit it or not, a healthy weight is extremely beneficial.
I like data, but I hate recording it. That's one of the reasons I purchased a Withings Wi-Fi-enabled digital scale. There currently are two companies selling self-uploading scales that I know of: Withings and Fitbit. I can't compare the actual brands, as I've used only the Withings, but I can tell you firsthand that what seems frivolous and silly (namely a Wi-Fi-enabled bathroom scale) is incredibly convenient and useful. Both scales automatically upload and graph your weight over time. The Withings scale supports multiple users, which it detects based on weight, and it has been an investment I've never regretted. (Note: The Fitbit Aria scale may support multiple users as well, but I don't have one, so I can't say.)
The only gotcha with the Withings scale is that when I purchased mine years ago, there was no Linux software for configuring the Wi-Fi settings. The settings are stored in the scale, even across battery changes, so I've never had to worry about it since that initial setup. (Yes, my Wi-Fi password is the same as it's always been. If you visit my house, it likely still will be “bigredchicken”—you're welcome.) A quick Google search tells me there is now a native Linux setup program for the Withings scale, which makes me even more happy to recommend it! The graphing is all done on-line with a free account (see Figures 1 and 2), but for the brave and adventurous, there is an API to connect to the Withings site. If you're a fan of keeping your own data, it's possible, albeit complicated, to arrange such a thing.
Figure 1. Stop looking at my oddly-tanned feet! The scale underneath is the focus of the article. It tracks weight, BMI and fat percentage.
Figure 2. It's easy to tell on the graph when I started dieting. Go, go, go!
The other main bit of hardware I use is a pedometer. Wearing a pedometer won't make you skinny, but knowing exactly how much moving around you do in a day is invaluable. I've found that days I thought I was pretty good about moving around the house were actually pathetically low in step count. And then days I hadn't considered particularly active have tracked miles and miles of mindless walking I hadn't even realized I'd done. The point is, a reliable pedometer offers incredibly useful insight on your daily activity. But, who wants to keep track of all that data? Again, I want the data, but I don't want to write it down. Enter: Fitbit and the like.
I've had a half-dozen or so Fitbit pedometers during the past few years. It's not necessarily the most affordable, or even most accurate pedometer, but it's very popular. The on-line component alone (see the software section later in this article) might make it worth the expense. Thankfully, I have a dear friend, Michelle Klishis, who actually does like to enter data. She has done a very extensive test of pedometers, and if there's anyone whose data I trust, it's Michelle's. If you don't have a pedometer, I urge you to read her extensive review of the various options: klishis.com/notreally/archives/11476 (see Figure 3 for one of many graphs).
Figure 3. Deviation from average steps per hourly measurements? Yes. If you want pedometer data, check out Michelle's extensive reviews.
Long story short, I currently have a Fitbit One. It slips in that useless little pocket in my jeans (what is that pocket for anyway?) and requires only weekly charging. The biggest danger with using a Fitbit is that it's easy to forget it's in your pocket. They don't do well in washing machines. The folks at company, however, do amazing customer service. I lost a Fitbit Ultra tracker in the park, and they sent me a free replacement, even though it was completely my fault. Really, it's a great company. BUT.
Up until the release of the Fitbit One (the newest pedometer at the time of this writing), the only way to sync the data was to use a USB dock that worked only with Windows and OS X. Feature-wise, the Fitbit is amazing as it tracks steps, calories, miles and even altitude. On the Linux front, however, it's not all that great. I'm happy to say, with the newer tracking devices, syncing is done over Bluetooth to an Android (or iOS) device. Windows or OS X are no longer required! I shamefully used to run an old install of Windows XP in my office for the sole purpose of syncing my Fitbit. Now, that's not an issue anymore. Plus, with phone-syncing, the data is transmitted whether or not you're at home near your computer. I love my Fitbit, I really do.
I'm telling you specifically what I use because I know it works well, and it fits my particular lifestyle. Please don't take that as an endorsement of one product over another. Check out Michelle's pedometer information. Read reviews of alternate digital scales. Heck, go check them out at the store and see which one you like better!
In fact, newer cell phones are getting to the point that they can be remarkably accurate pedometers on their own. One of the pedometer apps available in the Google Play store might suit your needs just fine. The point is to count your steps and keep track of your weight—not to get caught up in brand preference or feature creep. That said, we're geeks, and digital bells and whistles tend to be attractive!
Also, although I don't have one, I really like the concept of the Withings blood pressure monitor. It syncs up over Bluetooth and records blood pressure measurements and dates automatically. Yes, it's on my wish list. For now, I use an Omron blood pressure monitor and enter the data into the Withings site manually—like a barbarian.
The software is really where the magic happens with connected-health. It's great to have the Withings site track your weight and the Fitbit site track your steps, but without data integration, it's not a whole lot better than pencil and paper (or more realistically, a spreadsheet). Thankfully, most of the popular health-related Web sites allow for third-party integration. They don't all share everything with each other, but it seems like more and more sites are offering integration. It's pretty awesome. The following are some of the sites and apps I use regularly.
MyFitnessPal:
This is the app/Web site I use the most. It has a social aspect for connecting with friends and getting encouragement, but for me, the best feature is the integration with Fitbit. MyFitnessPal (MFP for short) has an incredible food database for tracking what you eat during the day. If you happen to go over your calories for the day, its integration with Fitbit means you can go for a long walk and earn more calories. Basically, after a minimal expected number of steps, MFP will give you more calories to consume based on how far you've walked. Because it's all synced and shared automatically, you just need to check the MFP app periodically on your phone or Web site and see how many calories you have left to consume. If you know you're going to have a huge dessert after dinner, you can take a really long walk early in the day and “stock up” on calories! It's truly amazing, and it's a healthy way to make sure you don't overeat. MFP also allows you to enter other exercise activities, along with the time you performed them, and it will grant you the appropriate earned-back calories for those activities. Since you enter a time, it makes sure not to “double dip” by also giving you calories for Fitbit activity during that time frame. So if you take a two-hour bike ride, you can tell MFP about it and earn some serious calories, even though a pedometer doesn't do a great job at tracking cycling. I love MyFitnessPal. Oh, and weight? Yeah, MFP syncs with Withings to keep track of your weight loss automatically as well. It's truly an amazing site, and it's completely free: www.myfitnesspal.com.
RunKeeper:
Due to my recent kidney problems, I'm not able to do any strenuous exercise. That said, I can walk. RunKeeper is an incredible GPS-enabled app for tracking running, walking, biking and so on. It will track your progress, pace and any number of activity-related data items. Much like the Fitbit, RunKeeper will integrate with MyFitnessPal. I haven't been able to try the integration yet, but if you do, be sure to check for conflicts. It would be a shame to “double dip” and get both Fitbit and RunKeeper calorie credit. If I'm able to start running again in the future, this will be something I'll have to watch closely to see how MFP handles such things. When it comes to tracking exercise, however, it's hard to beat RunKeeper. There's a free and paid version in the Google Play Store, along with a robust free Web site.
Withings Health:
I normally log in to MyFitnessPal only on a daily basis. I do this to enter food I eat and also to check on my weight loss progress. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, MFP doesn't have a great way to track blood pressure. Remember earlier I mentioned how much I want the Withings blood pressure monitor? Well, until that day comes, I enter the information manually into the Withings site. It does a great job of creating graphs, and since blood pressure is such a critical issue for me (kidney problems), that graph is invaluable (Figure 4). The weight-loss chart is nice too, but honestly, I really don't look at it much. MFP shows current weight lost when you log in to the site, so that's what I tend to look at.
Figure 4. Green is good. My blood pressure has been pretty stable, and if anything, is getting a bit low. Soon I'll need to quit taking my blood pressure medicine! Woot!
Fitbit Site:
I love the Fitbit, I really do, but I don't very often log in to the Web site. This is unfortunate, because it has a great social feature that shows you and your groups and friends in comparison. If you're the competitive sort, it's easy to see which of your friends is “beating” you and up the pace in order to win. I'm not particularly competitive, so there's no motivation for me there, but it's nice to keep an eye on your friends and send encouragement if they seem to be stagnant. Fitbit does offer a premium membership that offers some features in addition to the free stuff, but I haven't ever been tempted to upgrade, because any features I want come with the free account. (I don't feel bad about this, because like I said, I've purchased at least a half-dozen Fitbit trackers during the past few years for myself and family members.) If you're not into tracking food intake or weight, however, the Fitbit site would make a nice entry point for tracking stuff. I think it has the nicest social/friend system, but since I want integration with all my devices, it's not the site I default to. Check it out at www.fitbit.com.
Why did I share all that information on the health stuff I do? One, I want to share the incredible ways technology can help in living a healthy lifestyle. Two, I'd love some accountability. Hit me up on MyFitnessPal or the Fitbit site. Perhaps we can start a Linux Journal group on the Fitbit site for anyone interested in such a thing. The unfortunate fact is that many of us have very sedentary jobs, and we tend to eat poorly. At least, that has been the case for me. I've been forced to take a hard look at my health, and I figure as geeks, we might all benefit!
I'm going to start a Web-based “Lifestyle” column on the Linux Journal Web site. I hope to update everyone on new gadgets, features, accomplishments, ideas and perhaps even geeky recipes for healthy eating. If you're interested in taking this adventure with me, be sure to watch www.linuxjournal.com for my future posts. Like I said earlier, I want to live to get really, really old someday, and if I get to be part cyborg too? Bonus!